If you need privacy

and quiet, the best locations for your home

office are a spare bedroom or the basement.

First, take

inventory of the space you'll need for office

equipment, including personal computer, printer,

fax machine or copier. You may want to remove the

bed and replace it with a pullout sofa.

A finished basement

or attic is the ideal location for a home office.

Both can be easily converted and devoted

exclusively to your new work area. In order to be

comfortable, you may have to add a window air

conditioner and insulation to the attic and a

space heater to the basement.

If you need a

meeting space for clients, you need a more

private, formal space than a bedroom can provide.

Obviously, sitting on the bed or taking your

client past bedrooms and bathrooms is NOT the

impression you want to make.

The basement is

still the ideal choice, especially if it has a

separate outside entrance.

If you're not a

work-at-home person and space is at a premium, a

desk or cubby in the kitchen or family room might

suffice for keeping track of bills or working on

the computer.

The most

attractive, practical option is to build a home

office onto your existing home, but it's also the

most costly. You'll probably need a home

improvement loan. Your property value will go up,

but your property taxes and insurance will go up

while you still own your home, too.

For more

information on any aspect of home ownership, go

to https://www.ahahome.com , the web site for

American Homeowners Association.